Chin refugees: Changing destiny through education

2015-05-30 14:50

Most of the Chin refugees in Seremban live in these flats in Lobak. Photo courtesy: Sin Chew Daily

SEREMBAN, May 29 (Sin Chew Daily) -- While many are focusing on the Rohingyas in recent weeks, we might not be aware that there are also refugees from another ethnic group in Myanmar flocking into our country, and they have over the years assimilated themselves into the Malaysian society.

These are the Chins numbering about five million in Myanmar, 90% of whom Christians. Many of them have escaped from the government's systematic persecution since many years ago.

According to the 2006 "Chin Refugees in Malaysia" report by Christian Solidarity Worldwide Hong Kong, the Chins left their native country because of several factors, including the government ban on Christian activities, forcing them to embrace Buddhism, extortion by the military, etc.

Many Chin refugees still crave to return to their motherland but this will only be possible with changed administration.

Running from persecution

One of the larger Chin settlements in the country can be found in Lobak near Seremban, with about 500 ethnic Chin residents.

26-year-old Richard, a Chin refugee who has escaped to Malaysia for about five years now, told Sin Chew Daily he came to the country to seek asylum with the help of an agent and some relatives who had left Myanmar.

To escape persecution and suppression, he was forced to separate with his parents and four younger siblings on his boat journey to Malaysia, and was assisted by his relatives in Seremban.

Currently Richard is still awaiting the opportunity for UNHCR placement to a third country..

He said he was not sure since when the Chins had first come to Malaysia, adding that there were already Chins from his native village traveling to Malaysia as early as in 2008. They arrived here mostly through the assistance of their relatives already living in Malaysia.

"The first problem we came across after arriving here was to get a place to stay. Malaysians generally have bad perception towards us and many are unwilling to let their premises to us because we do not have fixed incomes, especially those without the official refugee certificates."

Not allowed to work

Richard obtained his refugee certificate first through registration with the Chin Refugee Committee in Malaysia before a refugee certificate was issued to him by the UNHCR. He said not all Chins from his village could get the refugee certificates.

He said some of the refugees without assistance from their relatives were unable to approach the refugee committee and were thus prone to deportation because they did not carry the refugee certificates.

He told Sin Chew Daily refugee certificates, which allow them to stay in Malaysia before they are sent to third countries, need to be renewed every three years.

These refugee certificates, nevertheless, do not grant them the permission to work legally in this country. As a result, many would work illegally in order to make a living.

Refugees normally work in restaurants and construction sites, earning generally lower salaries than locals or legal foreign workers.

Richard said they could earn from several hundred ringgit to RM1,000 every month in the absence of "interruption/"

The so-called "interruption" as Richard related includes raids by the enforcement units and extortion from local rascals.

"They know we are refugees and there is no one to help us even if we report to the police. So they just extort us openly. Many of my friends have been mugged and has surrendered their mobile phones, hard earned money and even refugee certificates."

Luckily not everyone is that bad. Richard said many Malaysians were actually very friendly and helpful.

Discrimination

Talking about life back in Myanmar, Richard said many Chin families made a living by farming, adding that many ethnic Chins with tertiary education backgrounds were also denied of good job prospects because of their ethnicity.

"Chins are a minority in Myanmar numbering about five million in 2013 or less than 10% of the country's total population. Even if they have good education, they won't get good jobs."

He said the Myanmar government would suppress the ethnic Chins in all kinds of ways, including searching their houses and taking away young men to work as coolies.

"We were forced to manually transporting weapons for them and those who dared to oppose them would be severely punished. Even if we were exhausted and thirsty, we couldn't stop to drink or would be punished."

Richard found the opportunity to escape and went into hiding with the help of fellow villagers. He then started to make arrangements to escape to another country. He finally managed to raise enough fund for the escape with the financial assistance from his relatives in the United States.

"Luckily my younger brother was not caught to become a coolie. Many family has no intention of coming over here (Malaysia). As a matter of fact, instead of waiting for placement to a third country, many Chins prefer to go home and be reunited with their families.

"But so long as the military regime is still in power, returning to Myanmar is a suicidal act.

The third countries that will take in refugees include the United States, Australia, Canada and Denmark, but these countries are now tightening their refugee policies.

"We used to have plenty of choices during the early years but now things begin to change. We can only go to a third country through UNHCR, and need to go through interviews and a series of eligibility assessments."

Changing destiny through education

Richard, who is the principal of a refugee school in Lobak, said his ambition was to become a pastor.

"There are several churches in Seremban that are treating us very kindly. They even get people to sponsor equipment and expenses to the school. We are really very thankful to them."

There are currently 110 students aged between 4 and 15 at the school where five ethnic Chin teachers teach English, mathematics, science and the Chin language.

"These students are the children of refugees running to Seremban. We now urgently need voluntary teachers to teach high school curriculum. Students reaching 16 years old should receive high school education but we simply lack qualified teachers for that.

"We have never thought of leaving our homeland for good, and the Chin language will be useful when we get back to our country one day. We must never forget our own language.

"We hope to change our destiny through education."

http://www.mysinchew.com

Myanmar mob swarms car of U.N. rights envoy

U.N. Human Right Rapporteur on Rights in Myanmar Tomas Ojea Quintana addresses journalists during a press conference prior to his departure from the Yangon airport on August 21, 2013. AFP PHOTO/Soe Than WIN 

  YANGON: A U.N. human rights envoy visiting Myanmar said Wednesday that a confrontation he had with an angry mob made him empathize with victims of the country's deadly sectarian violence. 

 Tomas Ojea Quintana said 200 angry Buddhists mobbed his car after he landed this week in the central town of Meikhtila to study reconciliation efforts between Buddhists and Muslims. He said it was a terrifying experience that hammered home the level of tension in the region. "I felt during this incident, being totally unprotected," he told a news conference wrapping up his 10-day visit to the country.

 "It gave me an insight into the fear residents would have felt" when they were chased, beaten and killed by Buddhist mobs in the town in March, he said. About 40 people were killed. The unrest began last year in the western state of Rakhine, where Buddhists accuse the Rohingya Muslim community of illegally entering the country to steal their land.

 The violence, on a smaller scale but still deadly, spread earlier this year to other parts of Myanmar - including Meikhtila - and has stirred up prejudice against Muslims. Nationwide, more than 250 people have been killed and another 140,000 forced to flee their homes. Most of the victims have been Muslims. Myanmar is overwhelmingly Buddhist. 

 Buddhists feel that the U.N. and other international agencies are ignoring their complaints, and tilting relief and reconstruction efforts in favor of the Muslim community. Visitors to Rakhine note that Muslims make up the majority of the homeless and live in refugee camps in miserable conditions, without adequate sanitation or medical and educational facilities. 

 The attacks and the government's inability to contain the sectarian tensions are proving a major challenge for President Thein Sein's administration as it attempts to move toward democracy and greater freedom. The U.S.-based group Physicians for Human Rights, in a report released Tuesday, blamed the government for failing "to protect vulnerable groups" and allowing "a culture of impunity for the violators," and called on the government to conduct thorough investigations and prosecute those responsible. 

 Quintana's ordeal recalled the difficulties previous U.N. envoys had in dealing with Myanmar before military rule ended in 2011, when they sometimes were barred from meeting people, snubbed by officials and even denied entry to the country. Quintana said mobs surrounded his convoy during a stopover in Meikhtila on Monday, forcing him to cut short his planned visit to a camp for displaced Muslims.

 "On my way to the township administrative office . my car was surrounded by a crowd of around 200 people who proceeded to punch and kick the window and doors of the car while shouting abuse," he said. "Due to these serious security concerns, I had to abandon my proposed visit to an IDP (internally displaced persons) camp containing around 1,600 Muslims who had been displaced following the March violence." 

 "The state has the responsibility to protect a special rapporteur like me coming from the United Nations," he said in response to a question. "The state has failed to protect me." He faced more peaceful protests on other stops. 

  During his visit, Quintana also met with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and several prisoners of conscience who remain behind bars two years after the country's military junta handed over power to a nominally civilian government.

He also went to Kachin state, scene of a decades-long insurgency. He said he was very distressed to hear that U.N. humanitarian organizations have only been allowed access to non-government-controlled areas there once in the last year. 

Quintana thanked the government for organizing the wide-ranging visit and the access granted to him, and said during his visit to Chin state, he found that restrictions on Christians have eased notably this year. 

It was Quintana's eighth trip to Myanmar since being named U.N. rights rapporteur. He will present his findings to the U.N. General Assembly on Oct. 24. 

 http://www.dailystar.com.lb

From asylum seeker to new Catholic bishop

Vietnamese refugee Vincent Long Van Nguyen, has been appointed Catholic Bishop in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Photo: Justin McManus

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/from-asylum-seeker-to-new-catholic-bishop-20110606-1fpb3.html#ixzz1OZvSaWjh

FOR eight terrifying days, wedged upright as one of 147 people in a 17-metre boat, Vincent Long Van Nguyen suspected he might not survive.

''We were dependent on the mercy of the weather. We ran out of food after two days because of the number of people who leapt on the boat at the last moment,'' he said yesterday.

But unlike half the desperate Vietnamese who fled the cruel communist government in the 1970s and '80s and died because of unseaworthy boats, bad weather or pirates, everyone on Long's boat made it to Malaysia.

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The 16 months he spent in the refugee camp was nearly as difficult but it set the path for the 18-year-old's life.

That path of service will receive public acknowledgment this month when he is ordained Australia's first Asian Catholic bishop. But he does not see it as just personal recognition, but also for the huge contribution of Vietnamese Catholics to the church.

The Vietnamese are disproportionately represented in Catholic seminaries. ''Because of their hardships, because of their experience they have a particular way of adhering to the Catholic faith. It means much more to them than just a Sunday service. Where they are, there is more vitality and dynamism than the typical Anglo-Catholic parish,'' Bishop Van Nguyen said.

His parents were boat people, too, taking to the seas in 1954 when a million Vietnamese fled south to avoid the communists. Yesterday, though neither speaks English, their pride was palpable. They were dressed in their finest for a photo in front of the family shrine with their son.

In Vietnam, Bishop Van Nguyen's father was a farmer and handyman. ''My childhood was spent in poverty and war. I still vividly remember many nights when our parents would bundle us kids into the bunker that every house in Vietnam would have.''

Then the communists won. They were harsh, especially against Catholics. He joined a seminary near Saigon when he was 14, but the communists dismantled it. ''I expected to be drafted into the military because we were fighting two wars, the Chinese to the north and the Khmer Rouge to the south.''

Two older brothers escaped the year before to Holland. Families did not escape together, he said. ''If you lose, you lose it all, there's nothing to go back to. Families sent the young men first, then later, if they could, the other children, then the parents.''

He taught himself English at the camp, then others. Serving others cemented his desire to dedicate himself as a priest.

From Malaysia, he was sent to Springvale, where he was so impressed by the work of the Franciscan friars he became one himself. He spent four years at a parish in Sydney, and seven years as parish priest at Springvale before heading the order in Australia in 2005, then assistant general for Asia-Australia in 2008.

He will be one of four auxiliary bishops in Melbourne, responsible for the migrant-rich west. ''I don't know how people or clergy of the broader community is going to accept me, but I am who I am, and I'd like to give it my best shot and see where it takes me.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/from-asylum-seeker-to-new-catholic-bishop-20110606-1fpb3.html#ixzz1OZvETEsO

Women waiting in fear after refugee sex attacks in Malaysia

REFUGEE women living in Malaysia are too afraid to leave their shanty homes for fear they will be sexually harassed and assaulted by police, with officials reporting such incidents are reaching "extraordinary levels".
Some migrant women are forced to stay inside or travel in groups to avoid being singled out by police and RELA, the paramilitary corps.
While men are asked for a cash bribe when stopped, some police allegedly sexually harass and abuse women.
This is the frightening scenario awaiting refugees who will soon be sent from Australia to Kuala Lumpur under the federal government's controversial refugee swap.
Malaysian opposition MP and foreign affairs spokesman Liew Chin Tong - who has called for a ban on the use of the rattan cane - said sexual harassment and abuse of female refugees was rampant.
"One member of parliament told the story of Chinese women caught and molested in police custody. This exists; it's a real threat and it's part of the systematic culture of abuse that exists behind closed doors," Mr Tong said.

"Some other refugee women have also been sold as sex workers."
Amnesty International National Refugee co-ordinator Graham Thom said Prime Minister Julia Gillard should educate herself on the type of harassment faced by refugee women in Malaysia.
"With no legal rights, women and girls are subject to sexual violence and harassment not only in public, but by gangs who also target them in their homes, knowing they have nowhere to turn," Mr Thom said.
"Mothers are left with little choice but to marry off their young daughters at a very early age, as one of the only ways to hopefully ensure some form of male protection."
Mr Thom, who recently exposed the squalid conditions at Malaysia's immigration depots, said he had spoken to refugee women who broke down describing their daily fear that their children could be kidnapped or detained.
"There is little doubt that refugee women and girls in Malaysia are particularly vulnerable," Mr Thom said.
The Daily Telegraph spoke to women who had been abused and did not want to pose for photographs for fear of retribution.
"They always harass me. I am 15. It doesn't matter how old you are," Nei said. "My friends have been assaulted. They are too scared to say anything to the police as they will get arrested as being an illegal and sent to a camp."

Malaysia refugee solution risks human life

BY MAURIZIO PETTENA

I am a member of the Scalabrinian congregation. Our formation includes entering into the reality of those whom we seek to serve. In our case, we work quite explicitly with migrants and refugees.

Just as some religious are dropped off in the middle of deserts with $10 in their pockets; we are placed at difficult border crossings, expected to find our way, to truly enter into the experience of being an asylum seeker.

A radical availability, openness and personal strength of character is required to live experiences such as this. A sense of adaptability is needed – an acceptance of difficult conditions, unfamiliar languages, and less than dignified treatment.

And yet what we experience in this attempt at solidarity is nothing compared to what the 40 million refugees and internally displaced people of the world experience each day.

Over these last weeks, the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee office has been reflecting much on what the Government’s new deal with Malaysia might mean for those who seek asylum on our shores. We have arrived at what has been the sticking point for the Catholic Church on migration for many years.

Of fundamental importance in any policy dealing with forced migration is the dignity of human life. As Catholics, we believe that a commitment to respect and empower people from all nations, migration on a global scale – whether voluntary or compelled –  can be successfully managed and be beneficial for all. It remains essential for Australia to hear asylum seekers when they knock at our door. 

In a recent Multicultural Mass held at St Mary’s Cathedral, the Catholic Bishops of Australia saw the fruits of migration to this country. In a beautiful display of colour,  faith and commitment to the Church, those who participated in this mass were communities from places as diverse as El Salvador, Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma) and Sudan.

The communion they shared was in their celebration of the Catholic faith, and their experience of having lived a “way of the cross” of seeking asylum in this country – many of them who weren’t initially made welcome, and  many of them who had suffered much in their journeys to Australia.

As the President of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant persons, Archbishop Antonio Veglio reflected on his visit to Australia at that Mass, he made particular mention of the short visit he had made to Maribyrnong detention centre, and the experience of speaking with some of the detainees. It was something which impacted deeply upon him, and he again mentioned it in his address to the Bishops the following day at their Plenary Meeting.

Then, we heard the wonderful announcement last week of the newest Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne, Fr Vincent Van Long Nguyen. He was himself a “boat person” some 30 years ago. He became a Franciscan priest, and is now the first “refugee” Bishop in Australia.

I’m sure that he will tire soon of such a label, but it is an aspect of his story which is important for us as a Christian community.

And all of this leads us to consider the Malaysia deal. What will it mean for people? Why does Australia persist in denying people their fundamental rights? Why do we still consider ourselves to be “swamped” by boat arrivals?

Australia has one of the most successful resettlement programs in the world and it is appropriate that the number of refugees under this program be increased. Australia is better placed than other countries in the region to resettle refugees due to the economic success underpinning our Nation.

The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office acknowledges the policy of sending the next 800 boat arrivals to Malaysia might be a deterrent for further boat arrivals. We cannot condone this policy; as essentially swapping human life goes against the moral teachings of the Church. 

ACMRO has grave concerns for the welfare of the potential 800 candidates that may be sent to Malaysia due to the already heavy burden that Malaysia carries.  While Malaysia appears willing to uphold the key aspect of the Refugee Convention to not return asylum seekers to the origin of danger; this alone does not afford asylum seekers the opportunity of a sustainable life.

The burden of irregular migration flows is one which needs to be shared more equally between countries based on their capacity to care for asylum seekers.

The negotiations between Australia and Malaysia represent a bilateral agreement and a step towards a regional framework for managing and protecting forced migrants.  Any regional framework is likely to include countries that are not signatory to the Refugee Convention.

So, in that light and with that knowledge, we say at this point that it is not appropriate then, to send people to any place where their dignity may be eroded any more than it has been in the journey thus far.

Father Maurizio Pettena CS is the Director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office. Earlier this year he was appointed to the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Refugees. 

Image: Flickr.

 Disclaimer: CathBlog is an extension of CathNews story feedback. It is intended to promote discussion and debate among the subscribers to CathNews and the readers of the website. The opinions expressed in CathBlog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the members of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference or of Church Resources.

CSW: Chin and Kachin Face Brutalities In Burma

By Van Biak Thang, Chinland Guardian, 23 May, 2009

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) yesterday released a report documenting first-hand information on SPDC’s human rights violations among the Chin and Kachin in Burma after making a visit to the Kachin State and to Chin refugees in Malaysia last week.

CSW visited the Kachin ethnic group in northern Burma with the Free Burma Rangers, and made a separate visit to Chin refugees in Malaysia.

A CSW representative heard first-hand testimony of rape, religious discrimination and land confiscation in Kachin State, and met a Chin pastor, now in Malaysia, who had been forced by Burma’s military regime to deliver a speech at a public rally denouncing human rights campaigners and claiming to enjoy complete religious freedom.

CSW also met representatives of the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) the day after the regime had ordered the KIO to surrender its arms and soldiers to Burma Army control.

In a detailed report of the visit to the Kachin released today, CSW quotes the testimony of a 21 year-old Bible school student who was raped and strangled by two Burma Army soldiers. After describing her ordeal, the student told CSW that she had heard that one of the soldiers had raped many girls, but had never been brought to justice. “Every woman should be careful. My experience is an example for other girls … I want justice to be done.”

CSW’s East Asia Team Leader, Benedict Rogers, said: “The Kachin people have a ceasefire with the regime, but the peace dividend is severely limited. An end to widespread killing and mass displacement is welcome, but it comes at the cost of a climate of intense restriction, discrimination, and crimes committed with impunity by military personnel.”

“Similarly, the Chin people face constant religious and ethnic discrimination and severe abuse. Worst of all, these two ethnic groups feel particularly forgotten by the international community. It is time that their voices were heard, and that the international community responded to the political, social, humanitarian and environmental disaster in northern and western Burma.”

CSW is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.